SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--GE (NYSE: GE) today announced the “Industrial Internet Quests,” a
challenge to developers and data scientists to create the best new
algorithms and design applications to reduce air travel delays and
deliver the ultimate patient experience. The two Quests will open on
November 29 and are part of a broader effort to create an open platform,
cultivate a community, and develop widespread expertise in the
Industrial Internet. GE is partnering with Kaggle, a leader in big data
challenges, to execute the Quests.

“New tools alone are not enough to solve our big data challenges. The
Quests will give developers and data scientists access to the
information needed to spark new ideas, perspectives, analytic
approaches, and find ways of working across diverse industries”

“New tools alone are not enough to solve our big data challenges. The
Quests will give developers and data scientists access to the
information needed to spark new ideas, perspectives, analytic
approaches, and find ways of working across diverse industries,” said
Bill Ruh, VP of GE’s Software and Analytics Center. “We want this open
platform to help spur innovation for extracting actionable insights that
will make machines like jet engines and healthcare equipment more
productive and decrease waste for our customers. We are excited to see
what the competition will yield.”

The Quests will span several months and submissions will be reviewed and
winners selected by Healthcare experts for the Hospital Quest and judged
based on automated rules for the Flight Quest. Winners will receive cash
rewards as well as the opportunity to have their submission turned into
a working simulation, with the ultimate goal of creating an onboard
flight management application and hospital patient experience
application, supported by GE.

Ochsner Health System President and CEO Warner Thomas said: “At Ochsner,
our patients are our primary focus. We look forward to collaborating
with GE and the developer community to create technology that can help
deliver a more interactive, hassle-free experience from pre-admissions
through treatment and discharge.”

Alaska Airlines VP of Flight Operations Gary Beck said: “It’s our top
priority at Alaska Airlines to get our passengers to their destinations
safely and without flight delays. With this Flight Quest we are excited
to partner with GE to work with data scientists and developers to solve
inefficiencies and bring new innovation to flight management.”

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA) estimate that on any given flight there
is 18-22% inefficiency – from flight delays, to use of fuel, to flight
paths. The Flight Quest challenges data scientists to help create an
algorithm for a flight management system that reduces flight delays to
save airlines money and ensure travelers arrive safely and on-time.

Participants in the Flight Quest will receive a two-month data set of
flight information of the National Airspace System. The information
will include: flight number, origin, destination, take-off time,
arrival time, latitude and longitude at frequent interim waypoints
along the journey and weather and wind data.

The Flight Quest will take place over two phases. In the first phase,
participants will be asked to create a predictive model that increases
aviation efficiency.

The winning predictive algorithm from the first phase will then be
used to create a simulation in the second phase of the Quest with the
ultimate goal being the creation by GE of an onboard flight management
application.

Together, the winners from both phases will receive a total prize pool
of$500,000 from GE.

Many reports estimate there is anywhere from $750 billion to $1.2
trillion wasted annually in healthcare inefficiencies. The Hospital
Quest challenges the developer community to create the ultimate
patient experience in a hospital setting by designing applications for
use by patients to take the hassle out of the process involved in
hospital stays and advance operations management to free up caregivers
to spend less time on inefficient processes and activities and more
time with patients.

Submissions will be evaluated by a panel of judges from GE, Ochsner
Health System and Kaggle. The winners will receive a total prize pool
of $100,000 from GE.

The Industrial Internet Quests will be open for entries beginning
November 29, 2012. To participate and view full terms and conditions of
the Industrial Internet Quests, visitwww.gequest.com.

GE plans to launch a series of “Industrial Internet Quests” in 2013.
These Quests will embrace the goals of open collaboration with our
customers, developers, data scientists and designers to help GE in
transforming various industries across Healthcare, Aviation, Rail, Oil &
Gas and Power.

About GE

GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best
technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in
energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering,
moving and helping to cure the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE
works. For more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.

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